Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

MarginMAX’s software platform more than doubles Storewise’s visibility into store operations through DSD item coverage and the vendor portal that already includes more than 600 registered vendors. As a result, more items are captured and analyzed within the Storewise platform, generating greater results and profitability. As part of the Storewise platform, independent grocers will gain the capability to optimize pricing, movement and margins for every item in the store.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome MarginMAX to Storewise,” said Christopher Greco, president and CEO.

“The acquisition underscores our commitment to equip independent grocers with a simple, unified software platform to optimize their operations. MarginMAX perfectly complements our platform, enabling independent grocers to manage both DSD and wholesaler items. The MarginMax team also brings greater wholesale and retail operator know-how to Storewise.”

The addition of MarginMAX further strengthens its position as a platform for independent grocers. The combined platform enhances the capabilities of the pricing, risk and sales reporting solution and allows customers to automate discount configuration and price optimization with more wholesalers and DSD vendors.

“MarginMAX and Storewise have a common goal of empowering independent grocers, which makes this combination a perfect match,” said Steve Miller, CEO of MarginMAX.

“We are eager to integrate our expertise in vendor management into Storewise’s platform and look forward to bringing even more value to our customers in the independent grocery sector.”

MarginMAX is Storewise’s first acquisition since Nexa Equity, an application software and fintech-focused private equity firm, invested in the company. The MarginMAX management team will join Storewise. Greco and management will lead the combined entity.

“This strategic combination furthers Storewise’s mission to develop a unified, end-to-end platform for independent grocers,” said Vlad Besprozvany, founder and managing partner of Nexa Equity. “We foresee this as the first of many strategic initiatives to empower independent grocers with enhanced technology.”

For more information, visit storewise.io.

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The pandemic introduced challenges for many small businesses, but Long’s Pic Pac in Pineville, Kentucky, has managed to thrive despite difficult circumstances. The store, which has been in the Long family for two (soon to be three) generations, has always been community-minded and adaptable. However, the pandemic presented new challenges that required new solutions.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Long’s Pic Pac implemented curbside pickup to keep customers safe. They also adapted its pricing strategy to deal with inflation and price increases and keep shoppers happy. With the help of AppCard, the leading personalized marketing and shopper analytics platform for independent grocers, the store was able to make these changes and give back to the community at the same time.

Mike Long, the owner of Long’s Pic Pac, said that AppCard allowed them to give a lot of money back to the community. The program also helped it ease the pain of price increases by giving extra bonus points to customers. For example, when the store increased the price of a popular sandwich called the Big Kahuna by 50 or 60 cents, it gave extra points to customers who purchased the sandwich. When they had to increase the price of cakes by a couple of dollars, they also gave five extra points for every dollar spent.

Long noted that this strategy worked quite well, as about 38-40 percent of the customer base used their number to earn extra points. By using the loyalty program to give back to customers and make price increases more manageable, Long’s Pic Pac was able to maintain customer loyalty and generate more revenue from those who were actively using the program.

Long’s Pic Pac has implemented a number of successful strategies and campaigns at its store. Price perception is so important in this inflationary environment, and MDI, Long’s Pic Pac’s wholesaler, works hard to source low-priced items each week. Long’s Pic Pac uses digital coupons that integrate with digital ads to make these items pop more on digital ads than on print ads. The store also promotes some of these features in emails and social media to make sure its shoppers are aware of the great deals and opportunities to save. Another strategy that it uses to promote private label items is the basket builder approach. It offers additional points to shoppers who spend a certain amount on private label items, which has been very successful.

One successful campaign Long’s Pic Pac has implemented is the “Battle High Prices” campaign, where they offered a special price for items like ground beef, eggs and soft drinks to help shoppers deal with the rising prices. They used AppCard to offer a discount for shoppers who used it and limited the number of times shoppers could use the discount to control their markdown.

In addition, Mike and his team have used social media to promote their store and AppCard. They participated in the AppCard social media challenge and won the contest by promoting its Halloween program and Moonlight Madness sale on its Facebook page. They made these promotions fun and engaging to shoppers, which has helped to build a strong relationship with them. Mike and his team are dedicated to finding innovative ways to communicate with their shoppers and provide them with the best deals possible.

The AppCard NTR also contributes to the success of Long’s Pic Pac. The NTR makes it easier for customers to access and use digital coupons, which can increase engagement and encourage customers to become members of the loyalty program. Mike says the size of the NTR allows customers to easily see and interact with the device without taking up too much room at the check-out.

Additionally, the integration of the ShoptoCook kiosk and the use of store personnel to onboard customers have contributed to the success of the loyalty program at Long’s Pic Pac, with a significant percentage of shoppers signing up within only six to eight weeks of launching the program. The NTR and ShoptoCook kiosk have undoubtedly played a role in raising Long’s Pic Pac’s coupon clip to redeem ratio to 25 percent, which is double the industry average.

Mike contributes a great deal of their success with AppCard to the integrations offered. He recommends that other grocers prioritize the integration of their loyalty program with its other digital platforms, such as e-commerce and digital ads, to create a seamless and universal experience for shoppers. At Long’s Pic Pac, they see the importance of having someone in charge of the program who believes in the AppCard program and can see it through and ensuring that all department heads and employees understand how everything works.

AppCard’s usability and accessibility to data also plays a crucial role in Long’s Pic Pac’s success. This data allows retailers to understand the buying habits of their top shoppers and send personalized promotions and offers directly to them. This, combined with the power of text message and email marketing targeted to specific groups of shoppers, leads to more effective spending. 

The combination of various marketing strategies, integrations, and the ease of use on the NTR has led to a great impact on Long’s Pic Pac’s bottom line. AppCard members at Long’s Pic Pac purchase nearly double the items of non-AppCard members. In addition, the average transaction for AppCard members is nearly 54 percent higher than the basket size of non-AppCard members. Long’s Pic Pac shoppers who participate in the AppCard program save money in their budgets and help the store’s bottom line.

AppCard and MDI offer a significant amount of support to retailers who use the AppCard platform. Building a team to support retailers in creating promotions and utilizing marketing techniques is a key part of making the program successful. AppCard and MDI have developed best practices for promotions that any retailer can use and are happy to share these with any retailer. They also provide ongoing support for cashier training, including a quick checklist for cashiers to use in-lane, and regular emails with data tracking progress.

Having strong front-end employees who can set an example for others and encourage the use of the AppCard platform is crucial to program success. AppCard and MDI are committed to supporting retailers who use their platform and have developed resources and training to make it as easy and effective as possible.

Long’s Pic Pac was able to adapt and thrive during the pandemic by using AppCard technology to give back to customers, track behavior and make changes necessary to keep customers happy and engaged. By keeping customer loyalty at the forefront, they were able to maintain a strong community presence and keep the business going for future generations. 

For more information, visit longspicpac.com or appcard.com.

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Storewise’s management team will continue to lead the business as the company further accelerates growth and expands to more customers. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The software platform enables grocery operators to streamline operations and improve store profitability. Independent grocers throughout the U.S. depend on the Storewise platform for price optimization, supply chain automation and risk management. Automating and optimizing business processes has become critical for independent grocery store operators to be competitive with big-box retailers, particularly in the last few years as the independent grocery category has rapidly grown. 

Storewise plans to utilize the investment from Nexa Equity to support its customer base, develop new products and accelerate go-to-market efforts. Storewise and Nexa Equity will partner to implement software best practices and execute strategic acquisitions to bolster the functionality of the software platform.

A study by National Grocers Association notes that 33 percent of grocery sales in the U.S. are purchased at independent grocery stores, up from 25 percent one decade ago. The Storewise platform is equipped to help independent grocers automate manual tasks, enhance profitability, identify errors, improve operational efficiency and minimize shrink. The company is expanding and serves more than 700 stores.

“The Storewise team takes pride in working with independent grocers, who play a vital role in our communities and employ more than 1 million Americans. We’re dedicated to supporting an industry critical to our nation’s economy by building a unified software platform that helps independent grocers operate more profitably and efficiently,” said Christopher Greco, president and CEO.

“We’re excited to have found a likeminded growth partner in Nexa Equity that shares our core values and will help accelerate our vision. The pace at which Storewise is being adopted, and the positive results grocers are experiencing, let us know that we’re on the right track.”

Vlad Besprozvany, founder and managing partner of Nexa Equity, said, “We are thrilled to back Chris and the Storewise team to drive transformation in the independent grocery industry. We’ve been thoroughly impressed by what the Storewise team has built to date and believe that by further investing in product development and strategic M&A, Storewise will be even better positioned to deliver value to independent grocers.”

Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel to Nexa Equity. Stinson served as legal counsel to Storewise. 

For more information, visit storewise.io.

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The MessageWraps feature P&G’s brands – such as Tide, Bounty, Febreze, Dawn, Charmin and Cascade – with product images scrolling across as the conveyor belt rolls, while DoorDash is featured with a mobile-integrated offer to skip the checkout line.

“MessageWrap is the perfect solution for our co-branded campaigns in partnership with our brand partners, as it provides a value-added checkout experience for our customers, while promoting the shared interests of our leading brands and initiatives,” said Eric White, director of marketing and communications of Redner’s Markets.

Nathan Vanderploeg, CEO of MessageWrap, added, “A big part of what is enabling us to support retail media initiatives is not only MessageWrap’s 93 percent awareness with shoppers, but also its optimal position to integrate with digital campaigns.

“The MessageWrap checkout experience is the perfect place to bridge the in-store experience to online, with both the retailers’ mobile apps as well as the brands’ digital presence.”

With MessageWrap’s position at checkout, the brand categories that are most often featured include:

• Pickup and delivery offerings, like DoorDash, Instacart and the retailers’ in-house offerings;
• In-store kiosks, like CoinCloud and Primo Water;
• Big CPG brand promotions, like for P&G and Kraft Heinz, with the MessageWrap investment and impact spread across multiple brands and products;
• Impulse purchases, at and after checkout;
• Loyalty credit cards, such as with Visa and MasterCard and their issuers;
• Charity fundraising campaigns, with POS and mobile-integrated giving like Make-A-Wish Foundation; and
• Lottery promotions, featuring state lottery tickets and games for sale at and after checkout.

In a recent program, a state lottery saw a 13:1 return on advertising spend, with a $13 increase in lottery ticket sales for every dollar spent on MessageWrap, representing a sales increase of over 40 percent versus control stores.

For more information about the independent grocer and its history, visit rednersmarkets.com.

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Digital coupon discrimination disproportionately affects low-income and elderly populations

The rise of digital coupons has brought great convenience to shoppers, but it has also brought an unintended consequence: digital coupon discrimination. This type of discrimination occurs when some shoppers are unable to take advantage of digital coupons because they do not have access to the necessary technology. However, the AppCard platform uses an in-lane terminal to make digital coupons accessible to everyone, regardless of their access to technology.

Digital coupon discrimination disproportionately affects low-income shoppers. According to a Pew Research Center report from 2021, 23 percent of Americans with an annual income of less than $30,000 do not own a smartphone. This means that these shoppers may not be able to access digital coupons, which are often only available through mobile apps or email. As a result, they may miss out on discounts and deals that could save them money on essential items like food and household supplies.

Furthermore, the digital divide is not just limited to low-income individuals. Elderly people, those with disabilities and those living in rural areas may also face barriers to accessing digital coupons. These individuals may not have the necessary equipment, internet access or digital literacy skills to use digital coupons effectively, barring them from saving money even at the stores they frequent.

AppCard uses in-lane terminal to make coupons accessible to everyone

AppCard’s in-lane terminal is designed to address this issue by bringing digital coupons to the physical store environment. The terminal is a small device that is placed at the checkout counter of participating stores. AppCard is integrated with the store’s point-of-sale system, empowering shoppers to clip and redeem digital coupons at the time of purchase without having to clip the coupons ahead of time at home or on their mobile devices.

Using the in-lane terminal is easy, fast and fun. Shoppers simply need to key-in their phone number – a mobile or a landline. The terminal then automatically applies any eligible discounts to the customer’s purchase. Only requiring a phone number means that shoppers who do not have a cell phone but only have a landline are still able to earn points and redeem coupons.

AppCard’s in-lane terminal not only makes digital coupons more accessible but also more efficient. It reduces the need for cashiers to manually enter coupon codes or scan paper coupons, which can be time-consuming and prone to human error. By automating the coupon redemption process, the terminal helps to streamline the checkout experience, cuts down on wait times for shoppers and reduces the likelihood of fraud.

Terminal also leads to increased shopper loyalty and repeat business

Another benefit of AppCard’s in-lane terminal is that it allows grocers to personalize their coupon offerings. AppCard’s AI and machine learning automatically ranks coupons for each shopper based on their likelihood to show interest and/or buy the items. This helps increase customer loyalty and drive repeat business.

Though digital coupon discrimination is a significant issue that affects all grocers and many individuals who do not have access to the necessary technology to clip and redeem digital coupons, AppCard’s in-lane terminal is a solution that makes digital coupons more accessible and efficient for everyone. By bringing digital coupons to the physical store environment, the terminal helps to level the playing field and ensure that all shoppers can take advantage of discounts and deals.

To learn more about AppCard, visit appcard.com.

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Currently launched in a group of ShopRite supermarkets within the NYC DMA, Grocery TV’s new displays will continue being installed in more stores across its network.

“As marketers look for ways to better communicate with household decision makers throughout the physical store, we’re proud to create offerings that both improve the shopper experience and create high-impact touchpoints for retailers, brands and agencies to better connect with their customers,” said Mike Pollack, chief revenue officer at Grocery TV.

Grocery TV’s dynamic front end displays are visible to shoppers walking through the aisles, passing by the front perimeter of the store and those waiting in line to pay – providing access to brand or retailer messaging and helping reduce perceived wait time.

The displays also are likely to be seen multiple times throughout the shopper journey. Similar to the company’s broader network, these front end displays can be bought programmatically, have full video capabilities and can target audiences on a national or regional level.

The company has run advertising campaigns for brands, including AT&T, Hershey, Pepsi and Chase Bank. The company has expanded its product line to include the store entrance and is rolling out digital in-store media for all major areas of the store, including service departments, center store and pharmacy.

Grocery TV is an in-store retail media network with more than 19,000 displays. Brands use Grocery TV to reach more than 43 million shoppers in brick-and-mortar stores that receive 274 million monthly visits. Through integrations with all major demand-side platforms, Grocery TV makes it easy for brand marketers to launch and manage digital advertising campaigns throughout the grocery store, where the majority of purchases occur. Retailers partner with Grocery TV to connect their in-store retail media strategy, engage with shoppers and generate incremental revenue.

For more information, visit grocerytv.com.

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The belts highlight features and savings opportunities for Giant Eagle shoppers when they opt into and use the myPerks loyalty program. Additionally, the belt covers help cashiers explain the new program to shoppers.

“We’ve seen an outstanding return on investment by partnering with MessageWrap through the promotion of our fuelperks+ program and we are excited to use MessageWrap again to educate our customers on the rollout of myPerks,” said Diane Stevens, senior manager of in-store communication at Giant Eagle.

“Giant Eagle is committed to delivering the best value to our customers, especially as today’s challenging climate has impacted family budgets everywhere. Our myPerks program allows us to give back to our customers in concrete, tangible ways, and we are thrilled that MessageWrap can help our cashiers inform our shoppers about these benefits.”

MessageWrap has worked with Giant Eagle for the past five years to boost customer loyalty, equipping about 4,000 lanes with MessageWrap printed conveyor belt covers during that time.

“Giant Eagle works tirelessly to innovate and improve the customer experience at their stores, and we’re honored to join them in educating their shoppers on the benefits of myPerks,” said CEO Nathan Vanderploeg.

“MessageWrap creates a seamless intersection between visual advertising, the information offered by cashiers and an action that will benefit the customer, like signing up for and using loyalty perks. With this latest partnership, Giant Eagle cashiers can inform shoppers at the key moment of checkout about how myPerks has expanded daily savings and sign them up on the spot.”

Rewards of the new myPerks program promoted by MessageWrap include personalized benefits resulting in free groceries and fuel through a “first-of-its-kind” loyalty program. Guests of the rewards program have the option to switch to a new multi-tiered program that will deliver groceries and gas savings in various ways, and shoppers are also able to get extra perks when purchasing any Giant Eagle brand products.

For more information about the company’s advertising, visit messagewrap.com.

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Foodtown’s Loyalty Program, or Club Card, was ranked No. 6 out of the top 25 supermarkets’ programs mentioned. Advantages of Foodtown’s card include in-store or online use to access many key benefits, such as discounts and promotions on groceries, the ability to use digital coupons and receiving periodic communications about special promotions and programs.

Shoppers are also able to sign up for the loyalty program through a paper application, online and in-lane at the register.

According to Newsweek, rankings were based on the results of an independent survey of more than 4,000 customers who are members of loyalty programs of retailers or service providers in the U.S. Around 16,000 surveys were received after various loyalty programs were evaluated.

The assessment criteria for these rankings included ease and enjoyment, benefit, overall satisfaction, customer support, trust and recommendation. The survey was done on retailers and service providers from 32 categories, providing results for a broad range of loyalty programs in traditional retail, online retail and service components. The selected loyalty programs each received an above average overall score. The period to submit was from October to November.

Locally-owned and family-operated, Foodtown supermarket has served its communities for 67 years. Currently, there are 66 stores spanning the New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut markets.

Allegiance Retail Services supports independent supermarkets (e.g., Foodtown, Freshtown, D’Agostino, Gristedes, Morton Williams, Pathmark, LaBella Marketplace, Brooklyn Harvest, Market Fresh, Big Deal Food Market, Green Way Markets and Shop n’ Bag) for retail success by providing them with marketing, advertising, technological and merchandising support, as well as a line of private label products, including Foodtown, Green Way and Rancher’s Legend.

For more information, visit allegianceretailservices.com.

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The programs are designed to help small retailers increase visibility online, improve their reviews and retain customers. According to the company, the need for the services was made clear during the COVID-19 pandemic when local bodegas and independent stores struggled to stay afloat as shoppers flocked to online retailers. 

The service, Find My Biz, will help small businesses and independent retailers maintain an online presence through listings. Online listings are an excellent way for small businesses to market their store online and have customers find them on many web-based directories, apps, websites and social media platforms, such as Google, Waze, Siri, Apple Maps and Facebook.

Find My Biz provides independent retailers with a single platform to input their business information and have that information appear in searches across the web. Through the portal, retail customers can gather data on how their online listings are performing, post to social media platforms, respond to reviews and utilize other features. As online searches become the dominant method for people worldwide to find and interact with businesses, having a robust online presence is becoming more of a necessity.  

The Manage My Reviews add-on service became an evolution of Find My Biz. Business owners with Find My Biz can use a team of people to respond to reviews on their behalf. This turn-key management of online customer engagement facilitated by Manage My Reviews will help differentiate independent brick-and-mortar retailers from their competitors.   

The additional new service NRS has announced is its Loyalty Program, which offers retailers the ability to build and maintain loyalty programs through the NRS POS machines. Examples of customized, automated Loyalty programs include award points given for each purchase, “Buy X – Get 1 Free” offers and other substitutions for the “loyalty punch card” model.

“We keep a close eye on the retail industry and are constantly working to identify the needs of our retailer customers and provide solutions. NRS strives to present the most innovative technologies to help our retailers thrive and survive during these changing times,” said Elie Y. Katz, founder and CEO of NRS. 

For more technology news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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The partnership consists of installing MessageWrap’s conveyor belt advertising solution at Stater Bros. stores in Southern California. With messaging in English and Spanish, the checkout conveyor belt covers are being used to promote the grocer’s shopper loyalty program, Digital Deals.

The program allows shoppers to redeem digital coupons with an ID number that can be entered at checkout. The MessageWraps feature a QR code that shoppers can scan to enroll in Digital Deals at checkout.

“The checkout conveyor belt has traditionally been a plain, black, utilitarian conveyor of groceries,” said Rebecca Calvin, SVP of marketing and chief marketing officer. “MessageWrap lets us transform it into an eye-catching conveyor of messages to a captive audience. We’re excited to explore other opportunities where we can engage with our customers using this innovative new tool.”

Stater Bros. Markets has plans to make MessageWrap a part of its marketing mix in 2023, with a second rollout across all stores. The MessageWrap program is led by Stater Bros. Markets’ Senior Director Integrated Marketing Denise Singler and Manager of Integrated Marketing Kim Inglis.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Stater Bros. on this innovative marketing campaign,” said Nathan Vanderploeg, CEO.

“Their use of QR codes on MessageWrap seamlessly bridges the digital and in-store experience at the highest traffic point in the store. This creative deployment puts them on the cutting-edge of MessageWrap and Checkout Experience innovation.”

For more technology news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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